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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy greeted a large crowd of supporters at a Canadian Armed Forces facility in Toronto on Friday night and members of the Ukrainian community said the president’s visit was particularly emotional for them.
Zelenskyy, who is in Canada for the first time since Russian troops began a full-scale assault on Ukraine in February 2022, greeted the crowd with “Slava Ukraini,” a national salute that means glory to Ukraine.
“The victory will be ours,” Zelenskyy, who was with his wife Olena Zelenska, told the crowd.
“I’m happy to be here with my wife, the first lady. Three days together, the first time from the beginning of full-scale war.”
About 1,000 people gathered in the Fort York Armoury to show support, including a group of students and teachers from St. Demetrius Ukrainian school who responded to Zelenskyy’s salute by singing the Ukrainian anthem. Others in attendance were singing along and waving Ukrainian and Canadian flags.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrapped up his visit to Canada by meeting with business leaders and attending an event in Toronto with the Ukrainian-Canadian community.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is grateful to Canada for its support.
“Canada trains our guys, our soldiers, our warriors. Canada gives weapons to Ukraine to move forward to push back Russia. I thank you for this. Thank you all.”
Living in Canada while there’s a war back home
Vira Kalinova, a mother of two students at St. Demetrius, attended the event wearing a traditional Ukrainian shirt with her son. Kalinova said she was glad to see people showing support by singing the Ukrainian national anthem.
“The fact that the whole community came up together to sing it together, it’s just heartwarming. It brings me to tears,” she said.
“It’s so nice to see it, so many people came out to support us.”
Kalinova said it’s hard for her and other Ukrainian Canadians to reconcile the fact that they are living in a safe place here in Canada while their family members and loved ones are suffering while fighting against the Russian invasion.
“[We are] living here in peace and quiet, but we’re doing all we can to support families back home,” she said.
Zelenskyy, who arrived at the venue accompanied by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland, deputy prime minister and minister of finance, said he was happy to hear the Ukrainian anthem in Canada.
“I’m so proud to hear it in Canada,” he said. “It’s so inspiring and it’s not just inspiring to others, it helps us to become stronger.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, several federal ministers and members of Parliament, as well as other Ontario mayors were among the politicians in attendance.
Zelenskyy thanked Canada for the ongoing support to his country, which he said would help the Ukrainian people defend their land and eventually win the war.
“The day will come when we gather at a similar place in Ukraine, many people, millions, cheering crowds, blue and yellow flags and Maple Leaf flags,” he said to the cheering crowd.
“Whole Ukraine will say, thank you … Canada.”
Uliana Hlynchak, who was at the event as a personal citizen, said Zelenskyy has become a symbol for Ukrainian resistance. Hlynchak works for a news outlet that focuses on Ukrainian news for North America and Ukrainian audiences.
“He’s basically a symbol of Ukrainian soldiers and people who are fighting just to defend their home,” she said.
She said the ongoing war has affected Ukrainian people around the world.
“Ukrainians are emotional every day because we know what’s happening in Ukraine, so many people died, so many people crippled this place, captured in Russian prisons,” she said.
“Since we started, we don’t sleep … it’s been an emotional roller-coaster, but we are trying to stay strong, because we need to give Ukraine all the support it needs as the Ukrainian community.”
‘Touched by the war’
Earlier in the evening, Zelenskyy met Canadian business leaders at a roundtable in Toronto.
Prior to the event at the Fort York Armoury, Trudeau and Zelenskyy, along with Freeland, attended a roundtable with business leaders including CEOs from Canada’s largest banks, to discuss how Canadian businesses can invest in Ukraine during and after the war to help the country rebuild its economy and infrastructure.
Members of Toronto’s Ukrainian community told CBC Toronto on Friday that the president’s visit is meaningful.
“A lot of people have been touched by the war,” Peter Schturyn, president of the Toronto branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, said.
“Obviously all of us have friends and family that have lost someone. And so it’s very emotional, but at the same time it’s very uplifting,” he added.
“It’s very important for our community to come out together, showing that we support Ukraine, and all that it’s doing, fighting off the… invasion that Russia continues to this day.”
Trudeau said Canada has supported Ukraine with almost $9 billion and will continue to provide support until it wins the war.
“The cost on Canadians, on our lives, on our world will be so much greater if (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wins this war,” he said. “We will, and have to, stand every day until Ukraine win this war.”
Earlier Friday, the Ukrainian president thanked Canada and Canadians during an address to Parliament in Ottawa for standing with his country and his people in the war against Russia.
Speaking ahead of Zelenskyy, Trudeau announced that Canada was extending its financial aid to Ukraine with a $650-million commitment to give the country more predictable and stable support over the next three years.
Canada has already contributed more than $8 billion in support to Ukraine, including providing air defence systems, armoured vehicles and artillery shells, and training of Ukrainian soldiers, among other commitments.
Chow, for her part, said she has spoken recently to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko because Toronto is a sister city to Kyiv. She said she has told him Toronto supports Ukraine.
On Friday, she said was thrilled to be invited to the evening event at the Fort York Armoury.
“I am so honoured to meet with the president or at least be in the same room as him. He’s just really a beacon of hope,” Chow said. “The Ukrainian government is an inspiration.”
Defence expert hopes visit puts spotlight back on war
Ihor Kozak, a retired Canadian military officer and a Ukrainian Canadian, said he has travelled back and forth to Ukraine since the start of the war to provide assistance to the military, to understand what its needs are and to support it on the ground.
Kozak says he has been to the front lines and has seen the devastation first hand.
“It’s extremely emotional. I still have family there. I have many friends who have died on the front lines, young friends who have young families. Somebody’s son’s daughters, fathers, brothers and sisters.”
Kozak said a Friends of Ukraine Defence Forces Fund, set up through the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, has raised more than $7.5 million through private donations. The money has been spent on non-lethal military assistance to the Ukrainian forces for such things as bulletproof vests, medical equipment and helmets.
He said he hopes Zelenskyy’s trip to North America will help put the spotlight back on the war in Ukraine.
“I think it’s extremely important,” he said.
“Those Ukrainians who are fighting and dying, they are doing so for their freedom, for their country, for their families, but also for security and stability of the Western world and for our democratic values.”
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